Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Interessante mix, rock, strijkers en hijgstem. Oh ja, en ongedefineerd gekrijs.
Ok
My detailed evaluation of this album, step-by-step: ⭐⭐- Two from the beginning for not being from an English country. ⭐⭐⭐- OK, the music is a bit more experimental than I expected, but it's not bad ⭐ - (reading the Wikipedia page and discovering the plot of the album) ⭐⭐- Contextualized with some information regarding Serge Gainsbourg's career and importance for French culture
I can’t listen to this album without thinking it’s a 28-minute perfume commercial, especially the opener “Melody.” Overall this seems like a nice little concept album about a girl named Melody, which we can just get from the title, but I can’t infer much more than that. The instrumentals are pleasant, but to be quite honest I just can’t take the French all that seriously in much anything they do. For some reason I’m imagining Steve Martin stumbling around as the Pink Panther. Oui oui! The only rockers I knew who were running around France in the early seventies were evading the authorities and working on one of the greatest albums of all time: the Stones with Exile on Main Street. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll get an album like that one next.
Rollo.
The album starts off amazing with the first two tracks, but after that it become forgettable and it’s runtime doesn’t feel long enough for the album to be fully developed.
Downside of not speaking french: Not understanding a word of this sonic voyage of a concept album from Serge Gainsbourg. Upside of not speaking french: Not understanding that the concept is just paedophilia and other parts of french culture.
Tres dodgy.
Glad I don't speak French all that well. The subject matter of this album is creepy and gross. The music wasn't terrible though.
music that i didn’t really love and lyrics in a language i don’t really understand. not my thing
Like a French William Shatner.
Some good music, but I'm getting very creepy vibes.
As odd as it gets
Music was ok but it is hard to look past the subject matter
I found this to be so creepy?
+1 for music
Not for me
Sounds like part of the soundtrack of a spy movie that takes place in France. Eh... at least it was short. The other kinda creepy thing was that Serge keep whispering into the mic, "Melody" all throughout and thought it was a bit much. Also WTF was that Maria Menounos laughing in "En Melody"? 4/10.
Well, I do not know French but even if I did I think I would of been bored
Vocal style was super grating. The music wasn't too bad. The subject matter of the album is pretty gross too.
Not pleasant for listening to.
Not really my thing, especially given the context. 🤮
Unless the listener is fluent in French, there probably isn’t much to be gained from listening to this. The melodies (har har) aren’t strong or memorable enough to carry the album on their own.
French
Nothing amazing, some decent melody but not particularly exciting or captivating
Musically quite enjoyable, not too memorable. I don't really care for the french. 3 out of 10
Creepy lush music.
Specielt, fransk 70’er poprock, koncept album, edgy tema
Not for me champ, I'm not avant-garde enough to appreciate the subtleties and nuance of an album about fucking a child.
Is this Ok? I don’t think this is OK.
I think the band is fantastic. However, I can hear Serge's saliva. I don't like that. This album is a danger to me.
I don't understand French. Would this be more enjoyable if I did? I thought the guy singing/talking sounded really creepy most of the time, but the drummer knew what he was doing. I was really enjoying "En Melody" until the girl (Melody, I'm guessing) starting shrieking and laughing like the Nanny.
Well instrumented but undermined by a swampy pointlessness. A disappointing record.
I'm glad this was only 28 minutes long.
Onneksi en jaksa keskittyä kuuntelemaan sanoja. Pointsit siitä, että on vahva teema: Melody Nelson.
4/10 there were some cool things about this, (I liked the guitar parts and song structures) but I didn't care for the vocal performance and I couldn't stop feeling skeeved out by the subject matter.
Tipo una storia, ma non mi convince.
I know he's a bit of a legend and all that, but this one isn't for me.
I feel like someone read a story to me and I didn’t understand a word - since it’s in French. Duh The guitar playing is quite dramatic at times but that doesn’t help me understand the story. Apparently it’s about an old dude with a 15 year old girl. How would that go over at major record companies these days? Back then, it was less than a decade after the film Lolita was released so I guess that taboo was manageable then? If it were a comedy that would help make it marketable. Is it a comedy? I have no way of knowing since, as I previously said, "it’s in French". I think I also previously said "Duh".
I enjoyed the background music quite a bit. I did not appreciate the spoken word whisper style that the artist chose to use. Also the subject matter is gross and fucked up.
Mitä vittua? Jotain taidemusiikkia
https://youtu.be/586WBOVBwS4
mehhh so slow wtf
Melody Nelson, Melody Nelson, Melody Nelson.... Tylsä, toisteinen ja ärsyttävä. Lähellä kuninkuusluokkaa.
No erikoinen, jos ei muuta. Omaan makuun liian taiteellinen
Musically, this is a real 5-star album. But boy do I wish it was about something else! What is it with French artistes and young teens? I won't be able to enjoy revisiting this the way I'd want to.
ok vi fattar du gillar tjajjor
Couldn’t get the entire album.
WTF? I swear in the song Melody it was a beat with someone just being tickled.
Another “very influential” album I have no interest in playing again. Not entirely without interest.
It wasn’t terrible, I just don't know French.
mutmutmut jos ei ymmärrä nii miten voin kuunnella waa waa 'NO VITTU ETSI LYRIIKOISTA KÄÄNNETTY VERSIO JA LUE!!!!!! VITTU OSAAKO HERRA LUKEA!??? AIKA TÄRKEÄ TAITO NYKY MAAILMASSA SAATANA... jahas semmosta lyriikkaa... Lolita-esque... pojo pois syynä pedo... hyi vittu ranskalaiset tän takia vittu olen rasisti, yhtä kansaa vastaan...basso hyvä. tykkään kuiskutus,,, sipsutuksesta,,, aa äs äm är melody
p242. 1971. 2 stars. Well, that was weird. Glad I heard it but not sure I'll revisit it.
Ah, dull whispering french music for horny pretentious students. We didn't need another example that goofy bug eyed weirdos from france have inexplicable sex appeal because we already had Sartre. Sensual and randy as he may be, the album left me untouched.
This isn't a very interesting album to me. I found the first and last song to be particularly boring. I don't mind the music, but it's just not for me. My favourite song was Ballede de Melody Nelson.
Very relaxed. But a bit too "artsy"
This album had some promise, I'm always interested in listening to other country's music, France being one of them since I haven't heard a lot, but this felt a little slow and nothing really happened. I read the wiki and it's supposed to almost be like a story which is cool, but I don't think that makes it worth being on this list.
I didn't mind it w/ no idea what he was saying - Wikipedia tells me it's about his love affair w/ a 15 yr old which I'm not into.
very flowery french pop. I hesitate to call it pop thought because it feels like Gainsbourg scored for a movie in his mind (not a particularly interesting movie either). His spoken word or semi-singing takes away more than it adds to the experience. En Melody is probably the track i enjoyed the most, primarily because it was instrumental. I truly cannot stand Gainsbourg's vocals. I wish he'd stick to composing instead, because it's far more interesting. Actually no! Credit goes to Jean-Claude Vannier more a lot of these arrangements! He did a great job.
The melodies are interesting, but I don't speak a single word of French. I at the very least have a chance of understanding Spanish singing, but there is no way I can get French.
Eh, not really my thing.
the back story is like so creepy and like it was just so no.
Well. That was weird. The music is... kinda funky and fun? It gets a little dull at times with a repetitive progression but is overall short enough to be a fine listen. Can definitely see how parts of this could be sampled (and apparently was) for triphop tracks. But... this isn't creepy nope not at all...: [wikipedia] "....Its narrative follows an illicit romance which develops between the middle-aged narrator and 15-year-old girl Melody Nelson...." uhhh 4/10 2 stars.
Not my thing
Basically a French dude talking into your ear for an hour over some light music. Maybe that’s your thing. Not really for me. Plus, I don’t speak French, so I could be wrong, but I think this guy might have an unhealthy obsession with a chick named Melody.
good background, not excited
Knowing the subject matter I can't help being creeped- out by the singer's voice. I would be interested in reading a translation. Also some of the background music reminds me of some 70s tv shows, which I loved in the day, but upon revisiting I find them cringey! I liked hearing the choir in the background, hearing her laughter made it seem so wrong!
The instrumentation is sparse, and it's been years since I spent time on Duolingo French, so this album doesn't really do much for me. It's not offensive, by any means, but if the focus of this record is going to be the story and lyrics, I need to be able to understand it. Favorite tracks: "Ah Melody"
Sounds alright until you know what it's about and then it's creepy and gross.
This is a tough album for me to comment on (if you know the concept), but if I were to pick some faves, they'd be "Cargo culte" and "L’Hôtel particulier"
super weird. The music is ok, but the whispered "Melody. Melody Nelson"s kinda freaked me out. Also might be better if I understood the words/story. Doubt I'll be revisiting this one.
Noncey
Bit weird for me.
I would like to acknowledge that the album itself certainly defies being slotted into any one genre. It's hard to believe that it came out in the 1970s; something about it seems a lot more current. That said, this album didn't do anything for me. The music might have been more enjoyable as an atmospheric thing, but the spoken-word lyrics sort of took away from that. And the "concept" of the album is unacceptable and disgusting. Just, why?
2, le language gap probably
Definitely would've enjoyed this more if I knew how to speak French. The guitar work is delectably lo-fi and loose throughout the LP, but the spoken-word focus means I found myself waiting out some sections as the narrative part of this concept album took center stage.
Decent beats scattered throughout. Glad I don't speak French so I couldn't understand what I assume to be creepy subject matter.
Good production, decent tunes, just not my flavor.
Interesting but not really for me
It was an uninspiring and not that entertaining of an album. It is all in French. Some of the music was ok. No need to listen.
Miserable headphones listen, his voice is so loud in the mix I can’t enjoy the music. Admittedly I might feel different if I understood French and could tell what he was saying lol
it's alright and it is fucking quickkkkk, but outside of being relatively unique it's not particularly good.
Weird and not in a good way.
Some funky instrumentals, but overall not a fan.
Too odd for me.
Nope
Mike Patton took inspiration here, and I can see it. Very old foreign pop. It was unique, mostly spoken word, then I read about the concept and felt less good about listening.
You're better off exploring the French songs on the "Ocean's Twelve" soundtrack.
Twaddle.
Sometimes, French music in this vein does strike very well for me, capturing a mood of feeling that no other music does. However, this album came across as cheesy and only had a few bright spots in the back end.
5/10
5/10
The orchestration was really interesting. Being French, I had no idea what was going on. If someone wasn't singing, I enjoyed it but when the signing was happening, hard pass.
I appreciate the diversity of this list but this ones not doing it for me
Problematic gaur. Problematic saga. Fín tónlist og vel útfærð. Samt problematic. Ekki hægt að njóta.
Such a strange album this. I really feel that some of the chords in the songs I've 100% heard sampled elsewhere but I can't put my finger on where and I know it's going to drive me crazy now.
Not for me. Maybe it’s my American ignorance not understanding French… the music was cool. Should have been an instrumental album.
French background music
Linhas melódicas e instrumental interessantes e funcionam mesmo com vocal francês.
it's ok
2/5 sadly no
First Listen. Very interesting sounds. Very nice.
It's fine. It's really just a progressive rock album made into a soundtrack. Looking into the lyrics and "concept" of the concept album more made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but overall it was a decent experience. The music element of the album was mainly pretty good rock with some orchestral dramatics thrown in. The storytelling could've been better, but that's probably just because I can't speak French. Favorite track: Valse de Melody
Not so much cup of tea. A bit too much avantgarde.
cool and sultry, but the backstory....yikes
Weird
A creepy concept album. The music is enjoyable. I would have enjoyed the album much more without the vocals. Not my thing. Won't listen again. From Wiki: "The Lolita-esque pseudo-autobiographical plot of the album involves the middle-aged Gainsbourg unintentionally colliding his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost into teenage girl Melody Nelson's bicycle, and the subsequent seduction and romance that ensues."
While some of the music was really cool, even Hendrix-esque, the whole thing didn't make too much sense too me overall.
1970s French pop is a thing, that's for sure.
had i known french, i would have probably enjoyed it more
The whole thing is french. 0RS
Sounds like this is going to be some more strange French whisper music.... what’s the point of this. Some cool stuff happening musically, but still when the Frenchman comes in and whispers into my ear it fills me with confusion.
I often like spoken word music. the music here is pretty decent but obviously I have no clue whats being said which is pretty key when there's no singing. The cover is pretty cool but its tough to be 100% sure of Melody's age. If we trust the french (and we definitely shouldn't) not to be singing about something dodgy, this is decent background music, and if I spoke french i'd probably get more out of this. So its the first one where its my fault i don't like it. 2/5 overall. 3/5 for the song where Melody just laughs throughout it.
This one passed me by a bit. Obviously it's in french so I don't understand the lyrics but every other word was the title of the album
A ratos más intenso, pero por lo general, tranquilo y reposado. Voz sugerente en francés
Definitely has a strong funk and rock vibe. The french...
I didn't understand much of the lyrics, but this was clearly an album about the love of a woman. I think. The constant twanging of the bass was excessive,.
I imagine at one point this was the height of cool for some. He speaks/sings! In French! He smokes while talking about women! A shirtless woman on the cover! Interesting as a point of reference but not much else for me, and I love 70s soft rock.
Can’t understand French
so, i actually liked the music. had a good grove, cool bass and string instruments. the angel harmonies on cargo cult were a plus. i didn't need the beat-poet french william shatner talking over a bunch of songs, and the en melody female noises were a bit over the top. almost 3.
Might be good but I can't understand it. Hate to give it a negative for that.
Very interesting, parts are jazzy or symphonic, lots of spoken word. Having trouble getting past the language barrier and the cool sexy vibe is ruined for me by the Lolita angle though.
Hahah vad e det här? Nån som viskar en försiktigt i örat på franska, mkt märkligt. Men musik är ändå ok, var helt ok att lyssna på 😅
No
This album occasionally peaked my interest with some good guitar and rhythm but then it would go completely mad and unlistenable.
Big fucking nope on this one. Pedophilia and statutory rape as the central theme to your concept album should have you immediately ejected from this list. The fact that so many critics can look past this is incredibly disturbing. If Trump wasn't such an imbecile you can bet this would be on his play list. Probably is anyway based on the wiki article. Epstien Island party jam bullshit.
Pedo shit
Couldn’t finish it
Not good at all
Gross
Kåta jävel! Instrumentalt bitvis jävligt fett men väger inte tillräckligt tungt för att rädda oss från porrgubbens äckliga röst och porriga franska. Melody Nelson
Extremt viktigt album för den franska ASMR-scenen! Vilken jävla porr-gubbe.
Kåt gubbes introsamling??
Garbage. Even if it’s meant ironically, his vocals are annoying and the music is not interesting
French concept pedo album. Coulda died without this one.
Songs 7 minutes long piss me off, but not as much as men singing about 14 year old girls. Other than that i absolutely hate it.
Well hello little fella what the fuck are you doing on this list?
The topic of this album was absolutely disgusting, and one cant even make an argument that this was of its time
🚨 NONCE ALERT!!! 🚨
I'd heard of this through the 1001 subreddit, hadn't been looking forward to it. The core premises of the album/story are repellent - but I don't think art should never depict or be about immoral/criminal behaviour - rather, I'm here to judge whether the art presents a comprehensive or even adequate picture, and does the artwork (as distinct from the artist) judge the male protagonist or more or less side with him. I'm not fluent in French but I can read some, and I have access to translations. The album presents a monstrous egotist - 'Melody Nelson' is here only in the name, said in girly voice by Birkin - no dialogue between two individuals, no storyline accounting for her hypothesized interest, his interest seems only to be in her youth, inexperience, virginity. (The cargo cult idea is offensive in itself, and a weak gloss on the 'convenient' death of the 'soiled' girl/woman.) Is all this monstrosity targeted by the artwork or indulged? The softly spoken Gainsbourg voice brings us into intimacy (confessional?) with the man, some say it's creepy but I don't read that as textual intention. The music for L'hotel particulier shows no hesitation or distaste, I would say it treats tenderly the man's fantasy. It seems clear to me that the artwork has no analysis of this man's desire to control/possess a girl/woman, it indulges that desire. Nonetheless, if I imagine this album with all vocals removed, the music would be very interesting - I can imagine it being influential for Portishead or whoever else. I could listen to such a remix - although it would always have the association of having initially been generated to support Gainsbourg's fantasy tale, it would feel severable, particularly for third party new listeners. Anyway, the idea of the music being interesting (if the vocals were somehow removed or ignored) of course doesn't make the album okay. Sometimes I might call an album with both good and bad aspects Mix of Good and Bad. But this is one of those albums where the badness is fundamental, it's intrinsic to the project of the album and the experience of it as it actually is, so I'll say it's Bad, 1/10.
Um, what? "Its narrative follows an illicit romance which develops between the middle-aged narrator and fourteen-year-old girl Melody Nelson, portrayed on the album and its cover art by Gainsbourg's then-partner Jane Birkin." Gross. No, thank you. Thank God (for my sake) it's in French, I guess? The strings in the first track remind me of some of Beck's stuff. Googling the connection, I landed on the Wikipedia page for Sea Change: "The album's sound, particularly on the song 'Paper Tiger', was partially inspired by that of Serge Gainsbourg's album Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)." This music is actually pretty cool at times. But the subject matter disgusts me. It's disturbing that in 1971 not only could something like this get made, but also that it would become a hit worldwide. And reading more about Gainsbourg, it's disturbing that he was such a big star not all that long ago.
I can’t support the French
So bad and creepy
Not for me.
What a terrible include. We've got a decent enough selection of jazzy, orchestral rock with a narrator describing the grooming, rape, and death of a minor. There are more tasteful ways to discuss subject matters like loss of innocence or the 'forbidden fruit'. I get that this was 50 years ago, but we don't need to continue highlighting this shit, especially with how gross and self indulgent this album feels. Give me the ability to give an album a 0.
Way too many people enjoy a story about an ultra wealthy man raping a 14 year old.
nonce
that's some album art this is the guy that wrote 'poupee de cire, poupee de son' which won eurovision for luxembourg anyways, what are we even getting into here well, it's something
That was the worst concept album ever!!! I wish I didn’t read the Wikipedia article about this album.
Hey gang, I don't speak French, but the creepy-sounding breathy guy is definitely not singing about anything we've all agreed as a society is morally wrong, right?
I loved the sound of this album. The vocals reminded me of Ken Nordine's Word Jazz. I decided to look at what this album was about (since I don't speak French). This album is about seducing a 14 year old girl, and taking her virginity... No, just No! Fucking creep!!! What you write about has consequences, and this is just fucking wrong.
Okay so. This album is... Uncomfortable, to say the least. The music is well played and that's all I'll say nice about it. The story of the album is an "illicit romance" (it feels wrong to use an innocuous term like romance, Wikipedia) between a middle aged man and a 14 year old girl. Not a fan, and I didn't finish the album. I couldn't tell if the album is intended to be controversial and uncomfortable (i.e. Lolita), or if Gainsbourg actually was a creep and in support of the subject matter. After learning a bit about the man, I have decided that both are true. I don't recommend.
To everyone reading this: if you don't want to listen to this pedophile, How about listening to this modest selection of other variété française ? - Charles Aznavour - Emmenez-moi - Georges Brassens - Les passantes - Joe Dassin - Dans les yeux d'émilie - Françoise Hardy - Le temps de l'amour - Jacques Dutronc - Fais pas ci, fais pas ça - Bruno Pelletier - Le temps des cathédrales - Maxime le Forestier - San Francisco - France Gall - Poupée de cire, poupée de son - Hugues Aufray - Santiano - Jacques Brel - Amsterdam - Edith Piaf - Milord - Nino Ferrer - Le sud - Daniel Balavoine - Tous les cris les S.O.S. (don't hesitate to skip songs if bored, i wanted to try to cover the genre's main figures/songs instead of suggesting one album) (other famous songs which aren't classic singer-songwriter stuff:) - Les Rita Mitsouko - Marcia Baïla - Partenaire particulier - Partenaire particulier - Manau - La tribu de Dana - Salut c'est cool - Les fleurs If you want to go explore old french music more in depth but don't wanna listen to vile people or lyrics, i recommend you avoid gainsbourg, claude françois, jean-luc lahaye, and maybe michel sardou as well as noir désir.
Not any good at all to my taste
Pedophile music for pedophiles
There is no scenario where I would enjoy this. Don’t care how French I could be, it’s not good.
oh coisa RUIM gemedeira da prra vsfffff esse bicho é aquele do meme das crianças fumando e bebendo? HOMEM DOENTE
Creepy. 1/5. Doesn’t even sing
This had been on my list to listen to for a while. I had recently gotten into 70’s French pop like Veronique Sanson and was looking for more like that. I knew the name Serge Gainsbourg and the cover made me think it had female vocals so I stored it away to listen to later. When this popped up as today’s album I was excited. The music was fantastic! I recognized the first track from a Beck song. But instead of female vocals I got Serge talking over a groovy melody. Okay, fine. Again, the music had me bobbing my head. There was a weird approximation of sex, I think. Okay, I guess. Overall I enjoyed it a lot. I looked up the album on Wikipedia. What the fuck dude? Why?
this is fucking disgusting, i don't wanna listen to his fuck ass spoken word poetry. the second song pisses me off the way they making her say her name all breathy and sexy. with the limited french I know, he's calling her a delicious CHILD. sonically pretty alright but why did people let this become famous ugh. all that for her to just die (in a plane crash??? thats lazy writing too like why did he survive the crash) at the end so she can forever be that little girl that he fucked. they had sex sounds of the girl in one of the songs and thats so disturbing
🤮
I read the summary of this album before listening to it. I don't know if that was a good idea because it has certainly tainted my view, although I guess I would have understood the album if it was in English anyway. But hahaha, oh wow, how was this ever acceptable? And why was this chosen for the list? Even if it is Gainsbourg's best album musically, maybe one of his albums which isn't sympathetic to the views of paedophiles might be better? Or even, maybe, we should not include him on this list? I personally think paedophilia should be a barrier to entry. I suppose its entry on the list does mark a kind of absolute moral low point against which we can judge all others. Anyway, how is the music? If I didn't know what this was about, I would think it was pretty cool at times, especially the ultra laid-back opener Melody and L'hotel Particulier with its almost AMSR whispered vocals, although En Melody, with its grating laughter and feverish guitars is a trial to listen to. Unlike other reviewers, I try to avoid giving ratings to the artists instead of the art in my project (see the low ratings that Michael Jackson often gets - great art, bad artist), but where the art is an album where the moral is "it's OK for a 55-year-old to rape a 14-year-old, actually" I don't think I can give it more than 1 star, even if it does have some chill music on it.
Pedophilia was just as illegal and repugnant in 1971 as it is today so this album wasn't just a product of its time. So here we have a rich, middle age, Rolls Royce driving pedophile taking advantage of an underage girl and it's all being celebrated on an album? If that aspect of the concept wasn't bad enough, the victim is then killed in a plane crash and we're supposed to feel sorry for this a**hole because the victim is gone and that's all the rapist can think about? They probably play this in the White House to celebrate all of the pedophiles they are hell bent on protecting. I hate everything about the concept of this album. I hate the artist for even considering such a concept and then the conceit for actually putting the album out. I hate the author for choosing this album for any edition of his book. A score of zero would too high.
Ah, non
1/5
I decided to skip the pedo album
This album is a concept album about a presumably older, affluent guy getting intimate with a teenager(Americans will know this story pretty well because of the current president). I will still listen, because I once wrote in a Michael Jackson review that an artist's personal transgressions are not important to judging the quality of the music. However, here the transgression seems to be the music itself. The instrumentals are okay ish, especially on the opener, but the vocals are really fucking creepy. Of course, this is because the dude decided to write an album about, ahem, getting intimate with a teenager. And why is the sixth track a bunch of random laughing? The whole thing is an ick, and I don't give a shit how "high-art" or funny or "shock value" or whatever this is supposed to be. I'M FIFTEEN for Christ's sake! An album about abusing and permanently traumatizing people the same age as me is not something I want in my life. This album needs to join its creator in hell. The one star I will give it is entirely for the first track's backing music. This album is ranked #35 of 37 albums for 1971. Other 1971 albums rated by me: Led Zeppelin IV(1/37)-5 Who's Next(5/37)-5 Sticky Fingers(6/37)-4 Pearl(7/37)-5 L. A. Woman(8/37)-3 Maggot Brain(9/37)-4 Imagine(14/37)-4 Fela Kuti Live!(15/37)-4 Nilsson Schmilsson(16/37)-4 Coat of Many Colors(18/37)-5 At Fillmore East(19/37)-4 Surf's Up(22/37)-4 Every Picture Tells A Story(25/37)-4 Songs of Love and Hate(29/38)-5 Tago Mago(33/37)-4
Kinda weird
At least Lolita had subtext
I enjoyed ths vibe until i checked the lyrics.
Just... No. Or, should I say... "Non".
Didn’t HATE it but it doesn’t really do a lot for me. THEN i learned it’s quite literally about statutory rape? With no (as far as i can tell) context or message other than “this is a story about statutory rape”? Yeah, this thing fucking sucks. Why is he just whispering the lyrics(?) like he’s telling a secret? OH I BET I KNOW. The instrumentals are nothing special either. Sometimes i think the author of this list is way off the mark and this is definitely that.
Hard pass.
fuck this and why does the fucking french not only accept this stuff but encourage it?
Gross
Why are we celebrating an album about statutory rape? Do better.
Sexy French man whispering in my ear made me feel a little dirty. Then I went to Wikipedia and found out why
Pedophile music, no thanks.
What in the world am I listening to lol?! After looking this album up…I feel a little uncomfortable with what he is singing about. If I were to separate the story from the actual musical sound, the arrangement of instruments and spoken word/French vocals sound really unique and interesting to hear. But….yeah, I can’t get into the intention here.
Slow talking over some down tempo beats that occasionally speed up for 10 seconds.
So after seeing the problematic album art, I read the equally problematic Wiki, and debated not listening as to not add to the streaming total. But I figured I'd at least listen to the first track. Nope, still just ick all over.
The instrumental element of this record is incredible, but a concept album about a middle aged bloke running over and then fucking a 14 year old girl is abhorrent.
Can't put aside that this is an album sexualizing a 14 year old.
I don’t think the music is that interesting or distinctive or impressive for a 1971 Pop-adjacent album, I don’t like Serge Gainsbourg’s voice at all (probably like Jane Birkin’s even less, especially when she’s being called in to scream and moan into the mic) and if I understood French, I’d probably like the concept and words even less too. Too long even at 28 minutes.
Ugh, what was that? Apparantly a story about pedophilia, musically accompanied by 70s soft-erotic music with half-spoken lyrics. Not for me.
So the music isn't bad. I was leaning towards a 2, maybe a 3. That being said, I can't in good conscience praise in any way a work that sensationalizes statutory rape, so into the ones it goes. Even without the subject matter I'd find it a hard sell to put into the 1001 albums I would need to hear before I die; it's more beat poetry than anything else and I'd honestly rather listen to Mike Myer's Whoah, Man from So I Married an Axe Murderer.
I REALLY hope this is not the only french language album on the list.
Even though I don't understand the vocals they are quite annoying and the music does very little for me. 1 star or F+.
You're kidding me with this, right?
For the music I would have rated this a 4 or 5, but the annoying laughing and sex noises would knock it to a 4 maybe 3. Finding out what it's actually about makes it a 1.
Well, that was weird.
Non. It's clearly a sonic poem, but since it's in French, it will be lost on a considerable chunk of music consumers, especially those looking for enlightenment or narrative engagement in their listening selections. Waste of time for most people, thus a wholly inappropriate inclusion on this list.
I don’t care if this is influential. It’s about pedophilia. It’s not “art” or “edgy” or “thought provoking.” It’s gross and creepy and predatory.
If this was an instrumental only album it would be a 4. Knowing what the story is about, kicks it right down to a 1.
This one is really unfortunate. If I hadnt read the description of what the album is about, I might have rated it a 3 or even a 4. But with that knowledge all the whispered lyrics, the woman laughing, just the whole thing becomes so creepy.
????? okay???? boring french mumbling.
This one is pretty bad. The theme of the 'concept album' is fairly horrifying and doesn't seem to have the kind of critique found in Lolita. The vocals are largely spoken with a little singing every now and then. They aren't particularly engaging to me. I can see why the music was influential and why it influenced groups like Air and Portishead, but frankly they take the ideas here and use them to better effect. Also, the more interesting moments are overwhelmed by the moments where the music pulls back to not particularly interesting repetitive background music for equally uninteresting spoken word monologues. There are really some deeply tedious moments on this album. Ultimately, the back up band is fairly talented, but is wasted. This album is 28 minutes long, but it frankly feels much longer.
Yuck
Another rapey album. I won’t even listen to this. Stop promoting albums about rape.
The music is fine but the abrupt loud GIGGLING plummeted my tolerance of this album. It was already on thin ice with the grating and excessive French muttering. Do people actually just sit and listen to this? It could work in a movie but as an album this suuuucks. Edit: oh my god I just read the Wikipedia page, I didn’t know it could get worse. The album is about a pedophile.
I liked the music well enough but the premise is no good. 1
Pas fin, immonde il est dégoutant et ses paroles le sont tout autant.
*15 Måske en provocateur - måske en kunstner. Måske bare endnu en fransk intellektuel/kulturelite-type der skal lade være med at være så vammel.
Føj
Not for me. 1/5
1/10 not my thing
I don’t speak French, but the Wikipedia descriptions indicated that this is a pedophile’s dream concept album. No thank you. I don’t care if it’s great musically, we need to shut this shit DOWN! And don’t give me your Lolita argument. At least Nabokov knew Hubert Humbert was a monster. Did not listen beyond the first 2 tracks (which played before I read the description), but I know enough to give this a single star. Glorifying rape deserves negative stars, but that is not an option.
When you call an album 'Lolita-esque', there's a fine line you have to walk on. You can certainly bring to light the shocking, dangerous, and horrifying aspect of pedophilia, as it is sadly a part of humanity's darker facets. But you can't glorify it. You can't be fascinated or enamored by it. Lolita is written in a way where you're grossed out and obviously have to treat the protagonist as an irredeemable piece of shit. While there are some lecherous guitar jams in here, there's a strange... romanticizing of the relationship between Melody and the Rolls Royce driver. So no. I don't think this is Lolita-esque. It's just creepy.
If only Serge would keep his mouth shut and let the music jam along... He talks some wrong musings over it that could have easily been lampshaded by making the main character the same age or something. But no. Make it explicit, why don't you. The guy was a menace.
Yeah this guys gotta go to Hell.
pretty weird stuff. Lounge singery stuff from a French guy. Some instrumental songs and some vocals. Common theme (from my wife) is that some of these might be ok if significantly shorter. Overall, hard to listen to and get through, just a 1 star rating
Really? Minus 47stars
If my friends asked me what I was listening to, how would they react when I told them "It's a French concept album about a guy who sleeps with a fourteen-year-old girl that he hit with his car?" The album is very pleasant sounding, but as is the risk with such an album, an awful concept can ruin the whole thing. The actual music itself is rather nice, but "En Melody" spoils any enjoyment of the album. "Cargo culte" at least acknowledges the eponymous cargo cults, which I think are interesting. But that's all this one has going for it.
Oof. I wish I didn’t know what this was about.
Thankfully I read reviews before pressing play. Did not listen due to heinous lyrics.
No one should be made to listen to this ever. What is wrong with people that they think this is ok?
Gross. Among the more cancelable records on this list. If you don’t speak French (and even if you do… maybe especially if you do) I’m not sure this should be required listening.
Let's write songs about fucking kids and call it art. Disgusting
Thanks, I hate it. So grossed out that I had to stop listening midway through track 2
Some cool loungey sleazy psychedelic stuff going on musically, but more than ruined by being a concept album about hitting a child with your car then fucking her. Guys just had these fantasies out loud in the 70s huh? Great representative of France here, the laid back, chilled out, black turtle neck wearing pedo rapist.
creepy
Did I miss something? Entirely unimpressed. 1/5
don't fucking piss me off
Oh dear. If this album, which tells the story of a rich, entitled, middle-aged man shagging an underage girl (an "illicit romance" as it's described in the Wikipedia article about the album) was a morality tale about, you know, NOT doing it because it's BAD, it might be acceptable. But reading about Serge and his Epsteinian/Trumpian predilection for sexual partners "on the younger side", I fear this was the "real" Serge singing about his real life. Automatic one star rating for paedos, however good or bad the music is (it's actually not terrible...). Shame on the compilers for including this in the list.
The whole album is very monotonous; it gets a little better in the second part but just a little.
Sick fucker zero stars
Ah. How creepy.
I think the only reason this album is considered art is because it’s in French and a lot of people don’t know what the guy is singing about. From that lens’s purely it sounds great, really sonically great even if half the album is a French sensually whisper singing in my ear. Then you read what this “concept album” is about. The singer hits a 14 year old with his car, falls in love with her, commits statutory rape then she dies in a plane crash. What the actual fuck. I would give this at least 3-4 stars as I said, the album sounds fantastic. But I can’t in good conscience give an album about pedophilia anything higher than a 1.
Fr*ench, and this album is regarding falling in love with a 14 or 16 y/o girl as a grown ass man. Nah bruh
What's with the weird fucking whispering. Thanks, I hate it.
meh
Every time this man says her name I gag. I wish this wasn’t so frickin creepy and predatory, since it’s interesting musically. But no, the concept is gross and I just couldn’t get past that.
Never again
This gave me the ick. The one good use of this I can think of is a variation on the drinking game Thunderstruck, but you drink each time someone says the name Melody. It would be an effective pre-game. Not a fan
When to listen: While reading Lolita? Didn't really vibe with this and then read the translation / plot of this album and felt super icked out. Sorry Serge.
Hur jag än vänder och vrider luktar det unken kulturprofil i om Gainsbourg. Att sparka mot etablissemanget och utmana prydhet har jag inget emot, men gubbsjuka är ungefär lika coolt som att krama nazistpysslingar i liberalismens namn. Pardon my french, men om jag förstått rätt handlar alltså detta konceptalbum om hur berättaren (Serge 40+) krockar i sin Rolls med en 14-årig cyklist Melody, blir förälskad. Därefter båda planerar och genomför tagandet av hennes oskuld. Musikalisk finns här egentligen ett rätt skönt sound. Känns ganska Hendrixinspirerat. Hade kunnat bli nått bra om han hållit sig borta från den jävla pratsången. Och framförallt, ett album som tycker det är coolt att våldta en 14-åring kan naturligtvis aldrig gå nått annat än en etta oavsett hur det låter.
Look at the wiki summary
no album available, can't rate
não vou ouvir algo sobre pedofilia. 1 por fins de avaliação
The French age of consent is 15 and Gainsbourg draws on this to create a new Lolita. In today's language he 'grooms' Melody and hearing his lust play out over this LP is uncomfortable. So is the LP any good, musically it's a yes but his voice takes some getting used to. Unfortunately the subject matter should have consigned this LP to the dustbin of time. Saville would have loved Serge
realmente não consegui entender isso aqui estar na lista. eu até diria que a ideia de um concept album é interessante, mas certamente não é interessante no caso do que é apresentado ao longo deste álbum. não consigo visualizar a importância e nem o que o torna tão relevante assim considerando o que é cantado e descrito ao longo do álbum. 1/5.
Musicalmente falando é interessante e gostei de algumas coisas. Mas também nao achei fabuloso. Seria algo entre 2 e 3 estrelas. Daí eu vou olhar a motivação do album…
1 Star (2/15)
I'll be honest, I'm not listening to this. My patience for pedophiles is at all all time low (yes that's a real sentence I never thought I'd have to say). It's 2026 and we (the USA) have a pedophile for a president. And somehow that's OK with a large portion of the population. It's not OK with me. So I'm not going to stream this and fund this pedo. I'm going to give it 1 star and hope for something better tomorrow.
Oef, dit is een goed voorbeeld van; Je moet niet altijd de Wikipedia checken voordat je de muziek gaat luisteren... Een conceptalbum over een man van middelbare leeftijd die verliefd word op iemand van veertien, de muziek kan maar beter heel erg goed zijn als ik hier nog door heen wil. Muzikaal klinkt het best ok, de gitaar is strak en instrumentaal is het echt prima, wel heel jammer om een heel album lang een geile Fransman in je oor te hebben hijgen. Dat draagt niet echt bij aan het hele 'misschien is het niet als ophemeling van een foute zomerliefde bedoeld'. En Melody is waar hij me echt volledig kwijt raakt, een nummer met alleen maar uitroepen en lachende geluiden? En aan het einde treurt de ouwe viespeuk om het verlies van zn veertien jarige liefje. God, wat een fout album, dit is denk ik het eerste album waar ik me gewoon echt een beetje naar over voel als ik het luister, helemaal als je daarna nog leest dat het autobiografisch is... Toepasselijk dat dit mn 666e album is, het voelt ook daadwerkelijk alsof ik na dit te hebben geluisterd naar de hel ga. Ik wil het op basis van de muziek nog 2 sterren geven, maar twijfel sterk of ik er nog een ster afhaal voor het feit dat ik nu het liefste onder de douche stap. Staat er eindelijk eens een niet Engels talig album op, is het zoiets..
Best Song: NA In 2026, there is too little accountability of pedophilia and I refuse to listen to something that glorifies it. This could be the best album ever made, and I would never know because I'm not listening to it and giving clicks and/or listens to this artist. 1/5.
Art does not exist in a vacuum. I don’t think you can objectively evaluate the music without considering the story it tells. And the story here is reprehensible. This album tells the story of a middle aged man raping a child. It’s a stain on this site to include it.
You WUT mate?
Noping out of this one.
Naaaaa
No thanks.
First time listen Yeah okay whatever the production is good I guess. But it's really fuckin hard to remove this album from the pedophilic context of its subject matter and Serge's weird (putting it lightly) relationship with his daughter. I say this as someone who generally doesn't have any issue separating art from the artist, or enjoying art that tackles difficult subject matter - Serge Gainsbourg was a perverted freak who dabbled in pedophilia and incestuous overtones in his music, and I don't think his history of being a provocateur really makes this album easier to stomach. No lush production or orchestral crescendos can make my skin uncrawl from listening to the giggling of this fictitious 15 year old girl in the context of a sensual spoken word ballad. I don't deny its influence or even its artistic merit, but I find the subject and artist detestable in a way that refuses much appreciation for its positive aspects. Fav track: I don't know I don't care Least favorite: All of it 1/5
Not for me
Ignoring the lyrics - I don't understand them and feel that reading a translation can only make me like this less - this album's biggest problem is pacing. There's some interesting stuff happening musically that feels very ahead of its time. Free-form guitars that aren't playing any riffs dominate, and the bass is almost funky. But the songs are either too long and stagnant (the bookends) or too short, ending before they feel like they've offered anything. This is really more story than album, but the shifts at different events are subtle, much like the music. Only at the very end does it reach any kind of climax. The vocals are fine, the music is at least intriguing, but the slow, flat pace makes it go by without me enjoying it. And even if I don't understand the lyrics, the female vocals on "En Melody" are enough to make me feel uncomfortable.
Listening to spoken words in French is not enjoyable.
1/5
The music is phenomenal, but the subject matter gives it one
¡Vaya asco de señor y vaya mierda de disco! Me da igual la música o la influencia de este disco, es una puta vergüenza.
Groovy bass !! Very unique songs. Feels straight out of a french film. Fav song is ‘L’hôtel particulier’.
fumada en francés, bastante malo, los instrumentos son buenos, pero el cantante es un pelmazo 1/5 o menos
Never heard of this guy. Favorites: - Thoughts: Fuck this album. Made me quit this list for a week.
I don’t think this pedo album should be on the list.
If i could give this 0 I would. OK its kind of arty, probably best as an installation in a modern museum with flashing images, preferably nowhere near me.
Non. Non non non. Ceci est pas acceptable, je suis même pas désolé. Non non non.
Ignoring the lyrics and vocals, this would get a high score from me. The orchestral instrumentation is lush, giving an atmospheric tone and telling it's story. These are clearly astutely arranged songs. The drums also have a 90s trip-hop feel in places, giving the music a pleasing groove. The subject matter of the lyrics is troubling of course, though. Like why did she even have to be 15? He could've written this story without the paedophilic element. I read that Serge Gainsbourg is celebrated for his braveness to write provocative and controversial songs. Fine, but if the target of your provocation is people who think it's bad to rape a child, then I daresay that's not a good thing. It's not even a "separate the art from the artist" thing, where he's writing about a subject matter to shed light on it or to say it's a bad thing. Given he wanted to have sex with his daughter when she was 12, he doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt here He gets 1* and can get in the bin
Fuck this stupid L’Oréal Paris advert sounding album
Don’t really understand why this is in the 1001 albums??
not the biggest fan
One word: Insupportable. There's no melody in melody and the vocals are a guy talking.
This is just a gross French dude talking over some bad 70s porn music. Apparantly it's about underage girls, too. Yuck.
No va
Great music in the background to a guy telling the story of being a nonce in French
It's not very good musically and the "concept" behind the album makes me question why this was ever made
Meh
My god. Awful.
Not My thing at all.
Meh
2/10 Favourite: Melody Least Favourite: En Melody
This could be the best album ever made, but I’ll never know because the subject revolts me and I refuse to validate it even in the tiniest way by downloading it. I am thankful that the 70’s are receding into the distance.
No. I love the sound of it but now I know the story and the lyrics and it dropped completely off. I can't get past the artist to the art. But also the art lyric- wise also sucks, so there's that.
I couldn’t handle this creepy shit. The subject matter is vile, and the dude spends most of his vocal time just fucking talking. Not too mention the moments where you hear Melody… nope, fuck this asshole, and the author for even including this 0 / 5
This was a weird album. I was going to make the comment this dude was obsessed with Melody. Good for him. Then I read who Melody is, for this album, and now I'm just weirded out period. What the hell man? Apparently, Trump has made pedophile acceptable. Well at least among Republicans and the MAGA group. Maybe he should invite this dude to play at the Kennedy Center. A packed house of PedoRepublicans for sure.
1 Aww, a meet-cute love story about a guy and a girl named Melody! Just like me and my Melody, how ado- OH. OH MY GOD. WTF IS THIS. Turns out, Serge be the kind of guy that would get along quite well with our president. As someone who subjected themself to a film class in college, this largely feels like a byproduct of the French New Wave movement, an era of creative expression that has never really clicked with me (though shoutout to La Jetée). Like, cinephiles hail Breathless as some kind of magnum opus of the genre, and yet it’s just 90 minutes of a dude trying to convince a girl to have sex with him. But boy oh boy, this makes that look like VeggieTales. Come on, what is this? Musically, it’s bland, performatively, it’s pretentious, and topically… if the first two points weren’t bad enough, the pedophilic storyline makes this 1000x worse. Every time I had to hear “Melody” whisper her name to the narrator (suspiciously based on the 42-year old Serge), I cringed. The instrumental moments towards the end were mildly enjoyable, but then once the provocative noises started, and I realized what the name of the penultimate track was… no. Just no. This is exactly the kind of thing I feel like people would point to to say, “Hey, great art is supposed to be shocking”, but I’m not buying it. Tell me it’s just like the old man in that book by Nabokov all you want; it doesn’t make it any better. I don’t like to think of myself as a judgmental person, but if I saw that you owned a copy of this album, I would probably raise an eyebrow. Musically enjoyable or not, I think you really have to ask yourself what inspires someone to write something like this - the cover is a half-naked child covering herself with a doll for crying out loud. Fortunately, the model was his real life—adult—partner, but I still find it weird she was talked into this. One of the biggest “wtf” albums on this list so far. I’m off to go clear my search history and take a shower.
Nao da nao
Vibes: 0/5 Instruments: 3/5 Production: 1/5 Emotional Value: 0/5 Storytelling: -1/5 AC: +0 Stand Outs: Ballade de Melody Nelson Overall Rating: 0.8
Couldn’t understand a word the guy said.
It's gonna be a big, fat NO from me dawg. A man talking seductively in French a little too close to the microphone about his lust for a 14 year old girl is not exactly what I'd call "enjoyable" to say the least. It is a shame because the music itself is quite ahead of its time, with many of the arrangements, particularly Cargo culte being very progressive. I suppose if they weren't there would be no reason for this album to be remembered. Some people can put the subject matter aside and just enjoy the music, and I applaud them for that; I suppose it's not much different from listening to Black Metal if you're not a pagan. I think the album is just far too sexual for me to be able to ignore what it's really about, which makes it nearly impossible to enjoy for me. Sure, it inspired a bunch of future musicians and was way ahead of it's time, I'll give it props for that. But will I say I like this album or listen to it ever again? Non.
Not for me.
Nice string arrangements cannot justify the absolutely repulsive concept of this record. Even the album cover is borderline CSAM. Anyone who enjoys this record should be placed on a watchlist honestly...
is this even an album
Moi, je n'aimais pas. It's a shame he wasn't singing about something else, because I quite liked the music.
There are some tinkly tunes in the background that are quite cute but everything else is deeply irritating.
Ah, a tender album about a middle-aged man and the teenage girl he seduces. I am sure that we are supposed to step back, take a drag off a cigarette, and approach this record with a sophisticated and continental worldview, seeing this as an album-length meditation about the fleeting nature of existence and the pain of lost youth. Only a narrow-minded cretin with outdated bourgeois morals would view this as being nothing more than a creepy set of songs about a sexual predator.
It’s another no for me, dog. Even if it’s conceptual statutory rape.
This Psychedelic Pop album drags you into a vintage cab gliding through dim Paris streets—lush, low-lit, and unsettlingly you don't understand the whispers of your captor but he keeps talking and you just want it to stop.
Not a fan. He fades his music way too much and what is with the Yoko Ono screaming that occurred? Definite example of a so so musician trying to be a hipster.
For once I can say that thank god it was in French so that I don’t have to actually understand this fuckers pedophillic rambling about how much he fancies this 15 year old. Think the story is enough to warrant a 1 star
Meh, '70's French pop rock didn't do it for me. Talking in a language over music doesn't work; in any language.
Sounds like a Frenchman with a dirty mustache bellied up to a microphone with a cigarette lit between his lips while wearing a tight striped shirt. One star
This album is about a middle aged man falling in love with a 15 year old 🤢